Hot or cold, youâ€™ll like Fire and Ice Winterfest

January 20, 2011

Post & Mail file photo â€” Columbia City resident Eddie Beagles ladles up a sample of his chili at last yearâ€™s chili cook-off competition. Beaglesâ€™ was one of the top chilis last year and he will return this year for another attempt at Peopleâ€™s Cboice.

WHITLEY COUNTY â€” Last year, warm temps and rain made ice carving for the Fire and Ice Winterfest messy and short-lived. No such problem this year.
The National Weather Service forecasts very cold this weekend with highs in the upper teens and lows in the single digits.
Festival-goers need not fear the cold, though, as warming events will be ongoing throughout the weekend with hot pepper eating contests and the popular Chili Cook-off.
Though entries for the cook-off were slow in coming, local restaurants stepped up to throw their respective hats in the ring, so to speak. Northside Grill and Sherriâ€™s Place will enter their best chili, and local residents Eddie Beagles, Bob Hoffman, Jon Kelley and Janet Hindbaugh are working on their masterpieces.
The Columbia City Fire Department, going against their instincts, will try to create a fire in festival-goers bellies with their chili concoction. Fire trucks will be on standby in case any samplers are overcome by the heat.
The Chamber of Commerce is accepting any last-minute chili cook-off registrants through Friday morning. Call the chamber at 248-8131 if you want to compete.
The cook-off, judged this year only by the public, takes place beginning at noon on Sunday at The Center for Whitley County Youth.
The Clugston offers shelter and some fun events for festival-goers as well.
A complete schedule listing follows.
Saturday
Events at The Center
â€” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Kidâ€˜s activities;
â€” 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. - Registration for the Snowflake 5K run with the race to start at 11 a.m. on Van Buren Street;
â€” Noon - ice cream and hot pepper eating contests;
Events at the Clugston
â€” From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Fire and Ice Bazaar;
Events on the Courthouse Square
â€” 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Ice carvings, here and on sites around Whitley County, including South Whitley and Churubusco.
â€” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Booths on the Square.
Sunday
Events at The Center
â€” Noon to 2:30 p.m. - Chili Cook-off;
Events at the Clugston
â€” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Fire and Ice Bazaar continues;
Events on the Courthouse Square
â€” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Booths on the Square;
â€” Noon to 3 p.m. - Ice carving competition;
â€” 3 p.m. - Awards at the Gazebo.